


Redefining A Legacy

by OccamsWriter



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:34:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23305369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OccamsWriter/pseuds/OccamsWriter
Summary: With the family accounts at Gringotts frozen and his parents wands destroyed, they have taken to sulking around the Malfoy Manor piecing their lives together after the fall of the Dark Lord. After Lucius's several attempts to regain the respect of his son and wife, Draco sends an owl to his good schoolmate Adrian Pucey for a place to stay as he contemplates where an ex-Death Eater fits in this anti-dark wizard magical world aside from working the back room at Borgin & Burkes in Knoctkturn Alley.
Kudos: 1





	Redefining A Legacy

The Pucey Manor  
“Malfoys.” Adrian groaned with disdain, “You lot can’t do anything without a flare of the dramatics.” He felt a twinge in his temple as he walked into the library realizing he had been clenching his jaw as he crumbled into the high wingback armchair behind the desk. “What will you do now?”

A platinum blonde young man wasn’t listening, rolling his new vine wand in between his forefingers and thumbs. “Draco.” Adrian stretched his jaw wide, feeling the joint pop seeing his schoolmate’s grey eyes staring up at him. “What are you going to do next?” 

Adrian watched Draco wrap his hand around the tip of his wand patting his palm with the handle. “Do you have parchment and a quill? I have a letter to write.”

Adrian blinked as Draco glided across the room to the desk leaning on its edge like an impatient business guest. Adrian opened the drawer and pulled a fresh ink pot and parchment sliding it across the desk to him. “I don’t think Katie is going to read a letter after what you just told her.”

A smile flashed across the young Malfoy’s face. “It’s not a letter and it’s not to Katie.” He held out a hand and took the stationary from Adrian before returning to the coffee table and disappearing into the scratches of a quill against parchment.

Meeting with the Minister  
Draco walked out of the Floo into the Ministry of Magic’s Atrium making his way through the crowd towards the elevators where an old man stood.

"Present your-" the man looked up, seeing the platinum hair atop Draco’s hair. “Oh, never mind. Where to?”

Draco forced a smile, "Minister's office." He snarled through clenched teeth as the gates of the lift slid open. Ducking several memos, Draco couldn't remember the last time he had traveled to the upper levels of office. It must've been before father was taken away to Azkaban. Shuddering at the thought. His father hadn't returned the same man, his usual bite diminished though he held onto his ideals obstinately.

"Upper offices. Department heads and Minister's office," the operator announced as Draco stepped out. He had sent an application to the Auror's office but it had come back with a personal invitation from Kingsley himself, something Draco wasn't expecting even now as he stood in front of the door.

When he sent the owl to the Aurors Office he didn’t expect to receive a summons from the Minister himself. "If he was just going to tell me no, he would have sent an owl," Draco growled, landing a heavy knock on the door.

“It’s open.” Draco heard a voice call from within as he turned the shining silver knob on the door. Walking into the office he saw Kingsley Shacklebolt, the interim Minister of Magic sitting behind the desk perusing a piece of paper that looked like Draco’s application. Had he only now begun to look over it? Draco thought as Kingsley stood conjuring a chair for Malfoy to sit in.

"Well, then, Mr. Malfoy, I have to say I've been looking forward to this meeting." Kingsley said settling back down in his own chair.

"I have to say I was surprised to receive a request from yourself, Minister. I didn't think it was common practice for applicants to the Aurors to be interviewed by yourself." Draco kept his voice level even. He wanted to convey utmost respect to Kingsley even if he had just called him here to tell him that the Aurors might not be the right fit for him.

Malfoy analyzed the seat Kingsley had conjured but did not take it. It was better to be invited to sit.

"If it's not too forward Minister, why did you call this meeting?"

"Please, sit," he said, more directly.

"Of course, I understand your curiosity. And you're right, it is not customary for the Minister - even an interim Minister who's more Auror than bureaucrat - to meet with applicants, but when Robards mentioned your application, I was curious myself and wanted to speak to you. Surely you understand my... not confusion, per se, but interest?" Kinglsey didn't want to make the young man feel like a carnival sideshow - though being concerned about the feelings of a Malfoy was a strange and unfamiliar act on his part - but he did want to be honest. After all, Malfoy's application had been fairly textbook, and until he'd left school to join the ranks of You-Know-Who, he'd actually been a very highly regarded student.

"So, I suppose why I called this meeting is to you ask you... Why do you want to be an Auror? And I don't want you to repeat what you wrote in your application, it was all very good if I'm honest. I want to know, man to man if you will." Kingsley couldn't help but lean forward a bit in his chair, the slight of intimidation a natural habit.

"That makes sense," Draco retorted. “My family never played nice with the Ministry in any iteration without a fair amount of gold exchanging hands and my father is living proof of that.” 

Kingsley was breathing normal Draco thought. "I guess you could say it’s a redefinition of myself." Draco started relaxing his shoulders, "You know my family's unfortunate history well and over the past few months, I have been attempting to distance myself from that history. My father still grumbles about the Ministry and how they have treated him while my mother is just happy I am alive.” Draco paused, “I don't share their thoughts on the new era and I have taken it upon myself to reconcile my own actions during the war as best I could, even if it has opened old scars on others." Draco paused thinking of Katie wherever she was.

"I have found work myself albeit at a less than reputable business in Borgin and Burkes but it's not where I need to be if I am to do better and rise above my family's name."

Draco leaned back in his seat. He didn't know if the answer would be sufficient enough even if it was the truth but either way, he still had the shop to go back to.

“Speaking of family,” Kingsley cleared his throat, “what does your family think of your current career path?”

"They don't know," Draco admitted, "I've been working at Borgin and Burkes and boarding at the Pucey Manor." It seemed odd somehow to know that he had been crashing at a friend's and admitting it to the Minister made his stomach turn. "Adrian attends to the manor now," Draco replied. He knew Adrian preferred to keep his affairs private but he would understand if he knew who was sitting on the other side of the desk. It was Kingsley's second question that set Draco's jaw on edge. It wasn't easy to find work inside of Diagon Alley and his family's "connections" had been the only thing to keep him from being jobless in the aftermath.

"It keeps me out of the Manor, sir." Draco shifted in his seat, "Unfortunately my family still has quite the collection of Dark Artifacts, and it is those connections that secured me the job." Draco paused as if letting his words reach Kingsley's ears. 

Kingsley’s eyebrow raised at Draco’s mentions of Artifacts, “I was under the impression that your family relinquished all of them when they turned evidence against their former colleagues.” Kingsley thought back to Lucius and his penchant to hold onto bargain chips if he can. “And what you your duties entail?” Kingsley asked scribbling something down on a piece of parchment and watching it fly out the door.

Draco heard the door close behind the memo, "I mostly do the cataloging and organizing in the store. Fascinating subject curses and knowing how they are created has helped me understand how they are countered."

Kingsley leaned forward on his desk, “I appreciate your honesty and am impressed with your resourcefulness. Not many of the families fared as well as yours and those that did still have trouble finding respectable employment.” Kingsley pulled off his glasses and tapping them with his wand watched as they became clear again. “There is one thing I want you to understand, if you are accepted into this program those connections no longer exist.” Kingsley looked at the young Malfoy and remembered everything Dumbledore had told him.

Draco took a moment to respond. He knew that would be the case and it didn't matter. "I'm aware, sir. I've thought hard about this and taken steps even before coming here to make sure my conscience was clear." The meeting hadn't felt like an interrogation, more a confession and there was still something that he needed to tell Kingsley if he was going to be truthful.

"I'd like to add one more thing if I could?" Draco took a deep breath, "Do you remember the curse that afflicted Katie Bell a few years ago? I was the one that used the Imperius Curse on her and gave her the necklace for Professor Dumbledore."

Draco didn't know if this would win him a trip to Azkaban or if the Minister would look over this but Draco had been truthful up to that point. "I just thought I would let you know since we were being honest and talking about severing ties. I understand if this disqualifies me from the Auror Program or lands me in more trouble."

Draco watched as Kingsley let out a hearty laugh as he replaced his reading glasses onto his nose, “I know, my boy,” he watched a perplexed look cross Draco’s face, “Dumbledore was not a daft as your father thought he was.”

"Of course." Draco couldn't help but chortle. “Any additional punishment?”

“Let’s just say you were under duress.” Kingsley looked him in the eyes.

Draco thought of his parents. His father pacing their manor that neither of them had bothered repairing. He would probably disown him anyway for throwing his "lot" in with this new Ministry. Then he thought of his mother who rebelled against the Dark Lord in a moment that would have meant her death, all because she knew he was alive. It was a mother's love and compassion and she would tell him to march back to the Ministry and say that he would not be joining. He would miss her the most. "I understand and I agree." Draco didn't know if he should shake Kingley's hand so he sat waiting.

Kingsley sighed deeply and nodded. He would have to accept the young man at his word.

“You'll also need to agree to extra testing with the head of the program, and a... probationary period, if you will. You can understand, of course, our need to... Verify your truthfulness and trustworthiness.” He waited for an affirmation from Draco.

“Please understand that It is not a personal decision, but one in the best interest of the program and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

Draco fought back a sneer, he knew that it was necessary but he didn't enjoy that it was necessary. "I understand," Draco nodded his head, "and I accept. Can I ask what type of test or how long the period will be?"

Kingsley shrugged his shoulders, "The testing is up to Gawain and his staff. Generally, Auror trainees are subject to field tests, written and oral exams, and skills tests in the training facility throughout their training. I assume it will be more of that. The length of the probation will be entirely up to you, Mr. Malfoy. It will continue until the DMLE staff and myself feel we no longer need to verify our trust in you." It wasn't the answer Draco wanted, Kingsley knew, but it was the honest one.

He stood. "Seeing as you agree to our terms, it's my honor to welcome to you the Auror training program and you will report to Gawain Robards, Head Auror, on September 1st at 6:30 in the morning." He put out his hand to shake Draco's, fighting the urge to skip the gesture.

Draco shook Kingsley's hand, "Thank you, sir." It wasn't ideal but if it's what he had to go through to get where he needed to be then he would do whatever it took, no matter the hoops. He released the minister's hand and turned his back to walk out of the office stopping just before the door. "Minister, thank you. Not many have heard me out. I'll see you on the first of September" With that Draco twisted the doorknob and began working his way out of the Ministry.


End file.
